#30 Like a Kangaroo

Posted on Mon Jun 13th, 2022 @ 12:31pm by

Mission: Rescue On Romulus
Location: Another ship
Timeline: current/somewhere in between

ON:

The USS Hubble had dropped from warp on their way to meet Amandora at Outpost 27. But, halfway there they were contacted by the Trill vessel and had met them. The Trill medical team had beamed aboard and met with Zenni, going through all the rules and guidelines for being joined. Albeit, rushed. Zenni never said a word, just listened as best she could and tried to absorb as much as she could as the group blathered on non-stop. Once they were done with lecturing then Zenni was made to sign off on all that had been said. Deep in her mind she hoped that Kahn already knew all this and would relay that to her once joined. Right now it was a mishmash of what to do and what not to do.

Lying on her back in the surgical ward, enclosed in a sterile capsule, Zenni was being prepped for the 'pouch' she would carry for the rest of her days. The pocket needed to house Kahn comfortably so that his experience was as pleasant and problem free as Zenni's was.

"Zenni," said Doctor Lenora Pax. "Being a joined Trill I understand the difficulty. You are not the first emergency joining. However, we have to internally prepare your body for Kahn, and once done you will die if Kahn is ever removed. There is no reversal in that. At least not until someone finally figures out how. You are in good hands. We have all done this procedure hundreds of times, each. When we get to the Amandora then we will have Doctor Long on our team for assistance and to learn how to treat joined Trill. That way you can rest assured that your medical needs can be met."

Zenni's eyes were full of anxiety. "I am trying to be brave, Doctor. But...this is all so...surreal."

"I know," the Doctor agreed. She smiled down at her patient. "And, while you are in my presence my name is Lenora, or Lenny, as some of my colleagues have come to address me. I will not lie to you. The transition from self to multiple memories is never an easy one. Some deal with it better than others. From all I've read about Kahn, the Symbiont does seem to have a track record for success in making each new host as comfortable as possible, as quickly as possible. Plus, Kahn was a starship captain and an XO. That carries weight with Starfleet, even if YOU are another person completely. And, you ARE your own person, Zenni. It will take time to sort out all the memories that go with other hosts."

Listening to the Doctor calmed Zenni's nerves. The woman's voice was melodic, full of truth, with no deception. She was as frank and honest as she could be. "That's my only concern, Lenny. How much of me will still be me when this is over."

Lenny stroked Zenni's cheek with the back of her hand. "You are always you, Zenni. You will just have a plethora of memories that you never lived, but Kahn did. All those experiences are now your experiences, even if you never did them yourself. All the languages Kahn knows, you now know. All your certifications will need to be retested, but I promise you that you will pass the same as you have with every other lifetime. At least your Science and medical professions are already on file."

"True," smiled Zenni, relaxing into Doctor Lenny's calm, soothing tone. That's when she also began to realize that her mind was becoming hazy, like her head was filling with cotton. "You sneak," she said slowly, grinning as her eyes began to flutter as she fought to keep them open. The drugs would not allow that. "Drugging me while distracting me..."

Lenora Pax stood up straight as Zenni went into a drug induced unconsciousness. "She is plenty relaxed, ladies and gentlemen. Let's do what we need to and then keep her in the stasis tube until we get to Amandora."

The other doctors all acknowledged the directive, holding their hands in the steri-field before going to work at moving and redesigning a torso to hold a Symbiont. No more belly button, but that was the least of their worries.

OFF: